Lampshades



July 26, 1955 G. T. ROBERTSHAW LAMPSHADES Filed July 8, 1952 United States Patent LAMPSHADES Gilbert T. Robertsliavv, Slatersville, R. I.

Application July 8, 1952, Serial No. 297 ,598

1 Claim. (Cl. 240108) My invention relates to improvements in lampshades for floor and table lamps, especially, although not necessarily.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a lampshade with sections whereby the color scheme and ornamental appearance of the shade may be quickly and easily varied at will.

Another object is to provide a lampshade in which the sections may be added to or displaced to vary the color scheme and ornamental appearance and to increase or reduce the height of the shade.

Still another object is to provide a lampshade with sections relatively rotatable to vary the ornamental appearance of the shade.

Still another object is to provide a lampshade for the above purposes which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and which includes superposed sections fitted together so as to achieve the above results without special fasteners.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview ofmy invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved lampshade in the preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in vertical central section illustrating the shade and the supporting frame for the bottom section attached to the lamp fixture;

Figure 3 is a view in bottom plan drawn to the same scale as Figure 1 and with the lamp fixture shown i1 transverse section;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of a first modification of my improved lamp shade illustrating the superposed sections rotated into one position to complete designs provided on the shade;

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the superposed sections rotated to another position to complete another design on the shade.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, and first to Figures 1 to 3, in the preferred embodiment thereof my improved lampshade 1 is of circular frusto-conical shape. The shade 1 comprises a plurality of superposed annular sections of the same shape as that of the shade, there being in this instance a bottom section 2 and successively smaller superposed sections 3, 4, 5, respectively.

The bottom section 2 is carried by a horizontal cruciform wire frame 6 suitably fastened, as at 7, to the bottom section 2 and including a central sleeve 8 attached by a set screw 9 to the conventional fixture 10, for an electric light 11.

The sections 2, 3, 4, 5 are detachably fitted together by rabbeted top edges 12 interfitting with similar bottom edges 13 of next higher sections. The sections 2, 3, 4, 5

2,714,156 latented July 26, 1955 are formed preferably by molding out of a suitable, translucent plastic, such as Plexiglas. The sections 2, 3, 4, 5 are each colored differently from the contiguous sections, for instance the bottom section 2 is colored brown, the next higher section 3 green, the next higher section 4 brown, and the highest section 5 is green. The coloring of the sections 2, 3, 4, 5, may be varied so that each section is colored differently with respect to the others, but it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate such color variations.

As will be seen, by virtue of the rabbeted edges 12, 13 fitting together, the sections 2, 3, 4, 5 may be removed and replaced singly, or as regards any number desired, and replaced with other differently colored sections to change the color and ornamental scheme of the shade at will so as to blend with different environments and with different furniture such as rugs, pictures, draperies, etc. As will also be apparent, the fitted together rabbeted edges 12, 13 provide for relative rotation of the sections 2, 3, 4, 5 in fitting the same together, or for any other purpose.

In a modification of my improved lampshade illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the shade is constructed as in the preferred embodiment except that the superposed sections 15, 16, 17, 18 are provided at the joints formed by the rabbeted lower and upper edges, not shown, with upper and lower cireumferentially spaced half designs 19 extending around said edges and shown as floral. The half designs 19 are so arranged that when the sections 15, 16, 17, 18 are rotated relatively into one position the half designs 19 on the edges of contiguous sections mate to form complete designs, in this instance floral bouquets as shown in Figure 4. However, when sections 15, 16, 17, 18 are rotated into another position relatively, the half designs on the edges of the contiguous sections are staggered to mate and form different complete designs, for instance floral chains, as shown in Figure 5.

The foregoing, will it is believed, sufilce to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

A lampshade comprising a plurality of superposed annular sections having interfitting and mating contiguous edges for retaining the sections in superposed relatively rotatable relation, said sections being provided with designs thereon at said edges spaced around the same and rotatable into different positions by relative rotation of the sections, the designs at the contiguous edges of at least two of said sections mating in one position of the designs and forming composite designs spaced apart around said edges, the designs at said contiguous edges being relatively staggered and mating in another position thereof to form another composite and continuous design.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,374 Smith July 23, 1889 631,211 Hoogerzeil Aug. 15, 1899 2,476,194 Hollowell July 12, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 151 Great Britain Jan. 2, 1907 726,518 France May 30, 1932 

